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Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Cary Elwes, Cliff De Young ... see more see more... , Jihmi Kennedy , Jane Alexander , Andre Braugher , Alan North , John Finn , Bob Gunton , Christian Baskous , RonReaco Lee , Jay O Sanders , Richard Riehle , Mark A. Levy , Dan Biggers , JD Cullum , Abdul Salaam El Razaac , Peter Michael Goetz , Marc Gowan , Daniel Jenkins , Donovan Leitch , Mark Margolis , Afemo Omilami , Ethan Phillips , Benji Wilhoite , Freddie Fields , Bob Minor , Raymond St. Jacques , Richard Wright , Saundra Franks , Ray Godshall Jr. , Michael Smith Guess , Randell Haynes , Mark A. Jones , Pete Munro , Keith Noble , Joan Riordan , Paul Desmond , Chad Dowdell , Lance Norris

Glory is a celebration of a little-known act of mass courage during the Civil War. Simply put, the heroes involved have been ignored by history due to racism. Those heroes were the all-black members o... read more read more...f the 54th Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, headed by Col. Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick), the son of an influential abolitionist (played by an uncredited Jane Alexander). Despite the fact that the Civil War is ostensibly being fought on their behalf, the black soldiers are denied virtually every privilege and amenity that is matter of course for their white counterparts; as in armies past and future, they are given the most menial and demeaning of tasks. Still, none of the soldiers quit the regiment when given the chance. The unofficial leaders of the group are gravedigger John Rawlins (Morgan Freeman) and fugitive slave Trip (Denzel Washington), respectively representing the brains and heart of the organization. The 54th acquit themselves valiantly at Fort Wagner, SC, charging a fortification manned by some 1,000 Confederates. Glory was based on Lincoln Kirstein's Lay This Laurel and Peter Burchard's One Gallant Rush; the latter book was founded on the letters of Col. Robert Gould Shaw, the real-life character played by Matthew Broderick. The film won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for co-star Denzel Washington, and additional statuettes for Best Cinematography (Freddie Francis) and Sound Recording. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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92% liked it

55,503 ratings

Critics

93% liked it

41 critics

R, 2 hr. 2 min.

Directed by: Edward Zwick

Release Date: December 15, 1989

Keywords: war

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DVD Release Date: January 1, 1998

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Flixster Reviews (4,000)

  • jmanard52
    March 29, 2007
    jmanard52
    Best Civil War movie ive ever seen. Top to bottom the acting was amazing.
  • phubbs1
    December 10, 2011
    phubbs1
    Another long forgotten epic that really is quite a fantastic film, loosely covering the days of Col Robert Shaw and his command of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry around 1862 which consisted of African American soldiers.

    Upon reading about this film its actually quite ... read moreimpressive how reasonable close the film is to fact, major events are covered within the film such as Shaw and his men refusing pay until they gained equal pay with white troops and even his death seems to be quite accurate, normally these things tend to get a Hollywood make over.

    I guess the main plus point is the fact the film is based around all the characters and not just Shaw, you care about all the men under his command and get to know many of them well (the main cast), this in turn makes it more emotional as the predictable happens towards the finale. The cast are really on form here too, possibly one of Broderick's best performances despite his marginal acting skills, he still seems too weak and shy to me. Morgan is perfect as the wise older soldier (I think he was born old n wise hehe), Washington makes his first real big film here, maybe a bit too 'in the face' in his performance but the rest is history (no pun intended) and Elwes is solid as the second in command with his classic blonde 'Errol Flynn' type features.

    I tend to forget this was made way way back in 89 as it looks really spot on with costume, sets, location, stunts, weapons...the works, its all made with the care and attention to detail you would expect in a modern epic. Musical score is probably one of the films biggest factors with a sweeping emotional score combined with choir that really brings home the savage needless death of so many.

    All in all this is a highly enjoyable historical film that is pretty accurate without stooping to over the top glamorisation (much), looks fantastic and is totally a character driven piece making it completely immersing for the viewer, Broderick even looks like Shaw.
  • spielberg00
    August 28, 2011
    spielberg00
    Based on true Civil War events, this picture was very poignant, brutal, and fantastic. Starring Matthew Broderick as Robert Gould Shaw, a colonel who narrates much of the film with the letters he writes to his parents, GLORY is a well-acted saga about the permission for blacks t... read moreo fight in war. The two main African-American characters we see are Sergeant Major John Rawlins (Morgan Freeman) and Private Trip (Denzel Washington, who was awarded Best Supporting Actor at the 1989 Academy Awards for his outstanding performance). Even though only Denzel Washington won an Oscar for his performance in this film, Matthew Broderick, if anyone, should have won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Even though he was recognizable through his English accent, his facial hair, and his mid-19th century clothing, his portrayal of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw proved that he is not just Ferris Bueller and he is not just meant for comedic roles.
  • ajv2688
    March 25, 2011
    ajv2688
    I had to watch this movie for a class once, I didn't care for it at all, but if you like military movies you'll like it better than me.
  • erika250
    June 3, 2010
    erika250
    This is the all time best war film of all.
  • cosmo313
    February 26, 2010
    cosmo313
    First and foremost: everything I have to say about this film is being said after taking the historical innacuracies and artistic liberties into consideration. While I am an American historian, the Civil War is not my specialty. I have taken classes on both it and military history... read more though.

    With that out of the way, I can say that Glory is one of the finest and most well-made films about the CIvil War. What makes it even more distinct is that it is the story of the first all-black regiment. In his review, Roger Ebert complained about movies like this where the leaders are all white. It bugged him that it is always like this with the movies. here is one time where the critic needs to look at history. The fact that the 54th Regiment existed to begin with is a miracle enough. The movie also shows that the Union wasn't completely anti-racist either. Two details I'm glad the filmmakers got (mostly) right.

    One look at this movie makes it obvious that it was designed and planned as a prestige picture, aka "Oscar bait". The film's original release date furthur emphasizes this. There is nothing wrong with that though. Even if this film did not receive the three Oscars that it did, it is still a fantastic film.

    The casting is quite nice. The supporting actors (including winner Denzel Washington) are brilliant. I really like Broderick as well. He had a hard role to play. Like what his character goes through, he had a lot to prove and a lot of growing up to do. While he's not perfect, he gives probably his best performance considering this was his first real dramatic role. If I were to be really harsh I'd slam him. Not his performance mind you, but the chracterization (from the writing perspective). As I said though, the Civil War is not my specialty, so I am nicer about these kinds of things.

    As far as the cinematography: I can see why it won the Oscar. The music is also stirring. Zwick's direction is strong. This is the movie that made him an A-lister. As I said, my hisotry gripes have already been considered. I have other gripes as well. The movie is guilty of patronization and emotional manipulation, but it is being presented as a celebratory and inspring piece. While there is nothing wrong with that, it can be too easy to let that become the focus, taking away from the historical basis. The film does a mostly decent job of not letting it get too out of hand.

    Some of my colleagues would probably think I'm being a little too lenient on this film, and while I know of the danger of letting Hollywood shape one's historical knowledge, I like historical based films (mostly) because they can be used in conjunction with the real deal, and can allow for discussions of why liberties are taken, and that sort of thing. It can be hard to find a balance between history and entertainment, but Glory is successful.
  • MeetMeinMontauk
    January 7, 2010
    MeetMeinMontauk
    I barely remember this. But I remember watching it in middle school, either as historical or racial harmony lesson pieces.
  • flixsterman
    November 1, 2009
    flixsterman
    As much as I like this film I still can't shake the nagging suspicion that someone else could have brought a little more depth to the part of Colonel Robert Shaw. Broderick does a good job but his portrayal doesn't entirely ring true. It's as though his 20th century sensibiliti... read morees keep him on the cusp of the character without completely melting into it. I'm never unaware that it's an actor playing a part, and that is a distraction (albeit a minor one) from a richly engrossing story.
  • superclerk25
    September 4, 2009
    superclerk25
    A great flick and great performances all around. You may not think Ferris Beuller could pull off a serious army colonel but you would be wrong. He brings it all to the role. The rest of the cast is impressive as well with the likes of Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington givin... read moreg great performances.
    The whole story is well paced and you really care for the characters as they face all the challenges put in their way.
    The music is great as well and I know I have heard it play in many a trailer over the years.
  • CloudStrife84
    June 20, 2009
    CloudStrife84
    Well-directed and beautifully scored Civil War drama, marked by its themes of conflict, sacrifice, integrity and brotherhood. Above all, however, it deals with the subject of racism and prejudice, and does so in a very gripping and powerful way, that leaves no heart untouched. As... read more for the cast, there's not a single actor in here who doesn't give a solid performance. The most notable of which being Denzel Washington, who steals the show in every scene he's in. It's just strange how it wasn't until recently that I learned of this movie's existence. Because it deserves a lot more attention than it's been given. Especially as it turned out to be one of my favourite movies by Edward Zwick.

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Critic Reviews

Richard Schickel
January 6, 2010
Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine

It is the movie's often awesome imagery and a bravely soaring choral score by James Horner that transfigure the reality, granting it the status of necessary myth. Full Review

Variety Staff
June 5, 2008
Variety Staff, Variety

A stirring and long overdue tribute to the black soldiers who fought for the Union cause in the Civil War. Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum
February 9, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

A pretty watchable and always interesting period film, well photographed by English cinematographer Freddie Francis. Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 20, 2003
Vincent Canby, New York Times

This is a good, moving, complicated film. Full Review

James Berardinelli
January 23, 2003
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Glory is, without question, one of the best movies ever made about the American Civil War. Full Review

Peter Travers
May 13, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Matthew Broderick [is] catastrophically miscast as Shaw.

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

A strong and valuable film. Full Review

Desson Thomson
January 1, 2000
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

It's hard not to get carried along. Full Review

John Hartl
January 1, 2000
John Hartl, Film.com

Generally engrossing and always well-acted.

Charles Cassady
December 15, 2010
Charles Cassady, Common Sense Media

Excellent Civil War movie for mature teens. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Facts

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    • Col. Robert Gould Shaw: Sgt. Mulcahy!
    • Sgt. Mulcahy: Sir!
    • Col. Robert Gould Shaw: I have no doubt you are a fair man, Mulcahy. I wonder if you are treating the men too hard. [Sgt. Mulcahy pauses] You may speak freely.
    • Sgt. Mulcahy: The boy is a friend of yours, is he?
    • Col. Robert Gould Shaw: Yes, we grew up together
    • Sgt. Mulcahy: Let him grow up some more.
    • Col. Robert Gould Shaw: If you men will accept no pay. Then none of us will. [tears up check]
    • Col. Robert Gould Shaw: There's more to fighting than rest, sir. There's character. There's strength of heart. You should have seen us in action two days ago. We were a sight to see! We'll be ready, sir. When do you want us?
    • Trip: I ain't fighting this war for you sir.
    • Col. Robert Gould Shaw: I see.
    • Trip: I mean, whats the point? Ain't nobody going to win. It's just gonna to go on and on.
    • Col. Robert Gould Shaw: Can't go on forever.
    • Trip: Yeah, but ain't nobody gonna win, sir.
    • Col. Robert Gould Shaw: Somebody's going to win.
    • Trip: Who? I mean, you get to go back to Boston, big house and all that. What about us? What do we get?
    • Col. Robert Gould Shaw: Well, you won't get anything if we lose.
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Glory Trivia

  • Which actor starred in all of the following:- - Glory - Philadelphia - Remember the Titans - Deja Vu  Answer »
  • Which actor can be associated with these movies ? Along came a spider Million Dollar Baby Glory  Answer »
  • Who sang Blaze of Glory from the Young Guns II soundtrack?  Answer »
  • In Which movie did Mathew Broderick portray Colonel Robert Gould Shaw  Answer »
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